Beautician&#39;s comb



Nov. 19, 1946. M. L. FINMAN BEAUTICIAN s COMB Filed Aug. 13, 1945 Inven'tor; Mar'ian L.Finman..

Patented Nov. 19, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BEAUTICIANS COMB Marian L..Finman, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application August 13, 1945, Serial No. 610,406

6 Claims. 1.

This invention relates toan article of manufacture and more particularly to a beauticians finger comb. In the work of a beauty operator in setting curls, it is customary for the operator to use a comb of normal size to-separate the hair on the scalp into a lock emanating from a small area in the scalp. As heretofore done, this operation has been carried out by the operator who removes the comb from her apron pocket and uses the end portion of the combto separate the lock of hair. Lhe comb is then returned to the operators pocket, the curl is formed and pinned in place to set.

This complete operation thus requires the removal of the comb from the pocket; the use of the comb and return of the comb to the pocket. In time studies it has been found that an appreciable part of each curl-forming operation is consumed in the removal and replacement of the comb in the pocket of the operator.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved beauticians comb which may be worn on the middle finger of the beauty operators hand and used in forming the lock of hair, and then without removing the device from the finger, it is retracted into the palm of the hand during the curl-forming and pinning portions of the operation. It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved article of manufacture comprising a simple sheet metal comb; to provide an improved comb of smooth polished surface and so constructed as to be readily adjustable to the varying finger sizes, so that it may readily be adjusted for use by the individual operator. It is also an object of the invention to provide an improved comb structure of varying tooth length; to provide an improved comb structure having the teeth of varying lengths and to provide a comb structure wherein the construction is such as to allow the comb when positioned on the finger to resist rotational movement on the finger.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent in the apparatus herein illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the lower arm portion and hand of the beauty operator showing the improved comb of the present invention on the middle finger of the operators hand;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the comb;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the comb;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the comb along the lines 44 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 illustrates the sheet metal blank from 2 which the comb is made, and Figure 6, the sheet metal blank after the initial comb tooth punching operation; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken along the lines '|1 of Figure 6.

Throughout the drawings corresponding numerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 shows the lower arm portion I0 showing the operators hand at I I. Upon the middle finger i2 and at. the first joint [3 thereof there is placed the beauticians comb, generally designated 20. The comb is worn in this position in the part of the curl-setting operation in which the lock is separated from the remainder of the hair. In the curl-forming and pinning operations the middle finger is retracted under the palm of the hand into an out of the way position so that it does not interfere with the curl-forming and pinning operations, but the beauticians comb 20 remains steadily on the finger tip l3 throughout the entire wave setting operation until the entire group of curls has been formed and set. The hair of the lock being formedis held against the comb and against finger I l by means of the thumb l6.

Referring to Figure 5 the comb is made from a sheet metal blank 2|. of generally lozenge shape having acute anguluar portions 22 and 23 and obtuse angular portions 24 and 25.. angles are smoothly curved as indicated and the side portions 26, 21', 28 and, 29 are preferably curvedinwardly somewhat as shown The blank is of thin sheet metal which is sufficiently stiff to retain its shape and yet thin enough to allow the blank after being formed into a ring to be bent slightly as hereinafter described, to permit the user to adjust the shape of the finished comb to fit the finger tip size of the individual user. The transverse center line of the blank 2| is illustrated by line T and the longitudinal center line of the blank is indicated by line L.

The blank 2| is formed and either at the same time or in a subsequent operation there are punched therein a plurality of teeth 30, 3|, 32, 33, 34 and 35. The teeth are made by a punching operation so as to bend upwardly the portion of the metal blank illustrated by the holes 3035', each of the teeth being attached to the blank at its base at one end of the hole. Tooth 3!] is the longest tooth and 35 is the shortest tooth, the intermediate teeth being evenly graded in length therebetween. As hereinafter pointed out, in the finished article of manufacture the longest tooth 30 is nearest the end of the finger and the All of the shortest tooth 35 is farthest away from the end of the finger. It may be noted that the teeth are upstanding and are in line with each other along a line T which is spaced from the center line T by a distance equal to the dimension A so as to position the teeth out of line with the center line of the finger when the finished device is worn in service. This construction positions the teeth closest to the thumb of the user when the device is in place on the users hand for it has been found that this position of the finger comb is most stable with the teeth so positioned. Figures 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the finished com .after the acute angular portions 22 and 23 of the blank have been curved around into overlap ping relationship. The flank is flat or nearly fiat in the region of the teeth as indicated by the dotted lines B and C, Figure 6, the curvature being from line B to the end 22 and line C to the end 23. The portion 22 is brought into overlapping relationship over portion 23 and the curvature is such as to produce a frustroconical shape as indicated in FiguresB and 4, wherein it will be noted that the diameter of the frustum is dimension D at the end nearest the end of the users finger and a larger diameter E at the'portion most removed from the end of the users finger. This permits the comb to be fit onto the users finger somewhat in the manner of an open ended thimble. The relatively fiat area of the finished article of manufacture between lines B and C fits the pad of the users middle finger and thus forms a fiat area which, in cooperation with the shape of the comb, prevent the comb from rotating during use. When the user first obtains the comb it may be adjusted to a smaller size by squeezing it in the direction of arrows 38, 39 and 4B or adjusted to a larger size by opening the ring outward to increase the diameter of the frustroconioal shape. The amount of overlap of members 22 and 23 is correspondingly varied. In this way the user may adjust the comb to her individual finger size.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments herein except as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An article of manufacture comprising a single sheet of metal curled into a frustroconical shape to fit onto the first joint of the users finger, said sheet having a plurality of comb teeth punched up from the plane of the metal, said teeth being arranged in a line running lengthwise of the shape and outwardly therefrom.

2. An article of manufacture comprising a single sheet of flexible metal blank having a Widened central portion and integral tapered side portions at each side thereof, said side portions being curved around with their ends in overlapping relation so as, with the widened central portion, to form a ring of tapered shape to fit onto the first joint of a users finger, and a plurality of teeth punched outwardly from the plane of the sheet in and arranged transversely of said widened central portion so as to be in a line lengthwise of the finger when the device is in position thereon.

3. The article of manufacture set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the Widened central area is flat throughout the area of the comb teeth on which the pad of the users finger seats when the device is in place thereon.

4. The article of manufacture set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the combteeth are in a line spaced off center from the trans,- verse center line of the widened central area,-

5. The article of manufacture set forth in claim 2 further characterized in that the comb teeth are of gradually decreasing length, the longest tooth being near the-small end of the ring, of tapered shape and the shortest tooth towards the large end of the ring of tapered shape.

6. An article of manufacture made from a polished sheet metal blank of generally lozenge shape, the obtuse and acute angle corners of the blank being smoothly curved, a plurality of teeth, longer than they are wide, punched up from the blank, so as to leave each tooth upstanding at the end of the aperture in the blank that is left when the tooth is punched, said teeth being arranged in a line parallel to and spaced a short distance from the .transverse center line of the blank, the blank being bent so as to bring the rounded acute angular parts of the blank into overlapping relation, the curvature being such as to produce a generally frustroconical shape with the teeth extending outwardly therefrom, said shape being of a size to fit onto the end joint of a users finger.

MARIAN L. FINMAN. 

